Wrench for turning flanged couplings



Feb. 6, 1968 E. J. KOUBELE WRENCH FOR TURNING FLANGED COUPLINGS FiledAug. 4, 1966 EMIL J. KOUBELE INVENTOR.

BY M

' ATT'V United States Patent Ofiice 3,367,218 Patented Feb. 6, 19683,367,218 WRENCH FOR TURNING FLANGED COUPLINGS Emil J. Koubele, JunctionCity, Oreg. (3947 Compton St., Chino, Calif. 91710) Filed Aug. 4, 1966,Ser. No. 570,268 1 Claim. (CI. 81-90) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Aone-piece wrench adapted for operative engagement with various sizes offlanged collars or pipe unions for screw-threading the same into secureengagement with, or removal from a pipe.

This invention relates to improvements in wrenches well adapted, thoughnot restrictively, for applying flanged collars or couplings to thescrew-threaded ends of pipes.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a wrench ofthis character which is of durable, inexpensive, simplifiedconstruction, capable of securely gripping and expeditiouslyscrew-threading a pipe flange into secure engagement with the threadedend of a pipe or readily removing the same by merely reversing thewrench.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a wrench made in accordance with my inventionand shown in operative driving engagement with the flange of one size ofpipe coupling.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the wrench similarlyengaged with the flange of a larger size coupling.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the wrench rotatedthrough 180 degrees about its longitudinal axis into unscrewingengagement with the pipe flange.

With continuing reference to the drawing wherein like referencecharacters designate like parts, the main body of the wrench comprises aplate 1 provided with a pin 2 extending through the forward end thereofand secured thereto in any suitable manner.

The opopsite end of plate 1 extends beyond the peripheral edge of anysize or diameter of coupling flanges being dealt with.

The opposite end of the plate 1 is bifurcated as at 3 and welded thereinas at 4 is a handle component in the form of a sleeve or socket 5 whichmay be either smooth-bored or internally threaded for removablesecurement to a handle 6 which may be of any desired length to meetleverage requirements.

Also permanently secured to opposite sides of plate 1, by welding or thelike as at 7, in diagonal relation to the plate are matched anglesections 8 and 9.

The couplings herein shown and described are exemplary of any suchconventional pipe unions ranging from the approximate small size shownin FIGURE 1 to the relatively large size shown fragmentarily in FIG- URE2.

The coupling comprises an internally threaded collar 12 for conventionalsecurement to the threaded end of a pipe 13 by means of an integralflange 14 having diametrically opposed apertures 15 therein.

In applying the coupling to the threaded end of a pipe 13 and as bestillustrated in FIGURE 1, the platelike main body member 1 of the wrenchis placed flatwise upon the coupling flange 14 with the bottom portionof the pin 2 extending through one of the apertures 15 in the flange.Then moving the handle 6 and hence the plate 1 in a clockwise directionwill bring the inside surface of the flange of angle section 9 (FIG. 3)into tangential engagement, as at 18 (FIG. 1), with the peripheral edgeof the flange 14.

The flange-engaging end of the plate 1 is recessed as at 20 so therewill not be any interference with the pipe of the flange or flangesbeing dealt with.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that when the pin 2 is engagedwith either pipe flange 14-14A and the inside surface of the flange ofthe angle section 9 (FIG. 3) is in abutting engagement with theperiphery of the flange the coupling may be quickly screwed upon thethreaded end of its respective pipe by clockwise rotation of the wrench,and that by reversing the position of the wrench by rotation about itslongitudinal axis to re-engage the pin 2 with another of the flangeapertures with the opposite or outside surface of the flange of anglesection 8 in engagement with the periphery of the flange, as in FIGURE4, the coupling may be quickly and conveniently unscrewed from the pipesection by counterclockwise rotation. Thus it will be seen that I haveprovided a wrench of greatly simplified construction involving no movingparts, capable of quick application to a coupling flange for rotatingthe same in either of two directions in a horizontal plane. Theflange-engaging pin 2 and the inside or outside surfaces of the anglesections 8-9 cooperate in automatically establishing a fulcrum pointupon contact of those surfaces with the periphery of the flange for alever of the first order and in maintaining the main body plate member 1in flat facial contact with the coupling flange during either clockwiseor counterclockwise operational rotation of the wrench.

As above stated the recessed edge 20 of the plate 1 avoids anyinterference by the pipe of the flange or flanges being dealt with.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, I amaware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves toothers skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as newand desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A wrench for applying and removing threaded flanged couplings to andfrom threaded pipes, comprising in combination;

a main body plate member adapted to rest flatwise upon and extend beyondthe face of a flanged coupling having at least one aperture therethrough,

a pin mounted transversely on one end of the body member, said pinextending outwardly from each side of side body member and adapted forengagement with said flange aperture from either side of the flange,

a handle component integral with the opposite end of said body member,

said body member having means thereon to engage the periphery of theflanged coupling, said means include a pair of elongate right anglesections integral with said body member and located between said pin andsaid handle component, each of said right angle sections includes twoflange portions, one flange portion being perpendicular to the bodymember and joined thereto along the free edge of said one flangeportion, each of said angle sections being located diagonally across theopposite sides of said said body member, said engaging means cooperatingwith said pin in establishing a fulcrum point on the one flange portionby engaging the periphery of said flanged coupling and cooperating tomaintain said main body 3 plate member in flat facial contact with theflanged coupling during either clockwise or counterclockwise operationalrotation of the wrench, and said fulcrum point being variable along thelength of said one flange portion to engage flanged couplings of varioussizes without adjusting said engaging means References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Foster 81-90 Slattery 81-90 Thom et a1. 8190 Plunges etal 8190 OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Examiner.

10 G. WEIDENFELD, Assistant Examiner.

